Protests against drug aid facility Abrigado in Harburg

Protest pictures hang in the school auditorium. “No more blue lights in front of our school” is written in scraggly writing on orange cardboard. There are also self-painted signs prohibiting syringes and pistols. The students of the Regional Education and Counseling Center (ReBBZ) in Harburg are protesting against the nearby Abrigado, a drug help facility where addicts can consume under supervision and receive advice.

This year the violence has escalated there several times. In June, for example, a man was shot near the facility during the day and the perpetrator fled. Police arrived with numerous patrol cars, a helicopter and drones to secure the two schools nearby. There was another shooting there in mid-September and a man was taken to hospital with a leg injury. The alleged perpetrators of the first incident have now been caught, but those of the second have not. Police sources say: The disputes probably revolved around turf wars between small-time dealers. The perpetrators may be addicts themselves.